Talking to my seven and ten-year old sons about Women’s History Month, Susan B. Anthony, Margaret Thatcher, and Betty Friedan wasn’t an utter waste of breath. But it was close. Vacant stares and a feeble “Oh” from my oldest left me deflated, but not hopeless. I realized I needed to come at women’s history from a different angle. These kids are excited by Madden NFL, Elon Musk aiming for Mars, w...
Read moreConversations with kids about emotional subjects like the war in Ukraine can be challenging. They can evoke uncomfortable feelings and they can sometimes lead to disagreement. And yet, whether your child is concerned, curious or not in the least bit interested in the war, carving out time for a discussion is incredibly important. Build Self-Awareness If your child hasn’t brought it up, it does ...
Read moreFebruary is the month of love, and love is very much a part of resilience. It is love that often propels a person to keep going in the face of struggle. Whether that be love for another person, love for a pet, love for doing good in the world, or even love for a hobby or interest. In fact, research by three renowned sociologists documented in the book, “Coming of Age in the Other America,” show...
Read moreHiding from kids in dark linen closets can be a highly effective way for parents to have uninterrupted telephone conversations. But teaching your child the art of patience doesn’t just allow you to make phone calls in the comfort of a chair. Patience is a critical social emotional skill. It is also remarkably similar to resilience. Patience is defined by Google as “the capacity to accept or ...
Read moreThe family togetherness that comes with the holiday season is fantastic. That is, when the kids aren’t fighting, bored, or cracked out on candy that was meant to decorate the gingerbread house. To avoid the chaos and stress that can accompany two full weeks of unstructured, school-free play time, we offer our project ideas. We’re always looking for easy and fun activities to entertain the young...
Read moreLast year we started a new family ritual. It’s called the snow couch. Because who doesn’t love sitting on hard, compacted snow. We eat and drink and talk on this snow couch. The kids love it because it’s pretty exciting to see this “piece of furniture” take shape. I cherish the snow couch for the conversation and connection. How to Create Family Rituals Any mundane activity can be elevated to a...
Read moreResearch shows that children learn better when they teach someone else what they’ve learned, rather than when they learn for the purpose of a test. “Learning to teach someone else is prosocial and relies on the social networks of the brain,” explains Matthew Lieberman, distinguished social psychologist and neuroscientist.[1] Considering that social connection is a core psychological need, as im...
Read moreIt’s not rocket science. The people we open up to are the people we like. We share most freely with our spouse or our dearest friends or a trusted relative. Maybe we share with the Uber driver, but that’s probably because that Uber driver is a good listener. Or maybe he makes you laugh with a story about a previous passenger that wanted a ride to the grocery store at 2am to bowl watermelons dow...
Read moreSchool is back in session. Whether your “new normal” looks vastly different or just kinda different than your old normal, you’re probably feeling the crunch of kid schedules, activities and obligations. It’s easy to forget when you’re shuttling your child to practice and lessons, or just reminding them to do homework, that academics and well-roundedness take you only so far in life. In fact, re...
Read moreThe battle began in the yard with small chunks of hardened mud—"mud rocks” as coined by my boys. They were running around pelting each other. What’s fun without a little danger? Sure, it was just small bits of mud they threw, but the bits were growing by the second, radioactively, soon-to-be baseball-sized. You know the game? In our house, we call it “Until Someone Gets Hurt.” “I know they’re j...
Read moreWe all want our kids to grow up to become happy adults. But what is happiness? A fulfilling relationship with a partner? A rewarding, high-paying job? Close friends? Good health? A helluva sale on your favorite Trader Joes Pinot? “Happiness is an achievement,” read the teabag tag on my recent cup of Blackberry Apple Cider Digestive Awakening Tea by Yogi brand. The idea that happiness doesn’t j...
Read more
